Massey job cuts ‘demoralising’

Mass job cuts at Massey University could cause serious dents in its reputation, say top academics.

The university sent a letter to more than 1000 science, health and academic assurance staff on its Manawatu¯ , Auckland and Wellington campuses in October, asking for volunteers to retire and resign before the end of the year to help slice $15.7 million off its costs.

The move caused considerable concern and unease among staff, Manawatu¯ -based chemistry Professor Geoff Jameson said.

‘‘Most of my colleagues are looking at a plan B,’’ he said.

‘‘It’s hard to imagine it can be good for the college in the long run, and then good for the university... the budget cuts are sufficiently frightening.

‘‘The scale of these budget cuts are just so much bigger [than previous restructuring], and we start with a much smaller team.’’

Tertiary Education Union organiser Michael Gilchrist said about 50 staff from the College of Sciences had put their hands up for the offer, and 20 from the College of Health.

‘‘But there’s an equally big budget cut for 2019, so nobody feels secure in the College of Sciences,’’ Jameson said.

If students were anxious about the stability of a qualification or an institution’s reputation, they could be reluctant to sign up for 2018, he said. Academic reputation was key to attracting international students, whose larger fees were vital.

‘‘Massey’s strength and international reputation is largely based on its College of Sciences, and that’s recognised by the Marsden Fund [government grants].’’

Large groups of scientists were more easily noticed on the international stage, he said.

The College of Sciences includes the institutes of agriculture and the environment, food science and technology, veterinary and biomedical science, engineering and advanced technology, fundamental sciences and mathematical sciences.

Albany-based distinguished Professor Peter Schwerdtfeger said the move was ‘‘damaging and demoralising’’.

Recruiting a respected group of researchers and teachers took time, and he was aware of several internationally sought-after scientists who put their names down to leave.

Staff and their unions should have had more warning of the plan, which came out of the blue before Christmas, Tertiary Education Union national president Sandra Grey said.

‘‘Enticing an unspecified number of people into leaving their jobs early is a flawed way to manage an organisation.

‘‘Management needs to be honest about its plans and consult with staff and students so they have the opportunity to explain the damaging impact mass redundancies would have.’’

Most of the 70 voluntary applications would be approved, but this would ‘‘impact significantly on the provision of courses, research capacity, and other college staff and students,’’ she said.

Questions put to Massey vicechancellor Jan Thomas and corporate communications director James Gardiner were not answered and would not be while the process was still under way, Gardiner said.

The cuts would help the university meet a goal of 3 per cent surplus set by Thomas, and is an expectation of the Tertiary Education Commission, he has previously said.

Commission chief executive Tim Fowler said achieving a 3 per cent surplus was not required, but was a guideline to all tertiary institutes to safeguard profitability against risk.